Clean energy resources

(AUSTIN, TX) Despite turbulent oil and gas markets and a crash in new drilling activity, a year’s worth of aerial survey data released today by EDF’s PermianMAP initiative reveals that operators’ inability to manage flaring has remained a consistent problem.

Flaring is the controversial practice of sending natural gas — which is mostly methane — up a pipe and igniting it, rather than capturing it for productive use. Flaring has come under increased scrutiny for contribution to air pollution and climate change, alongside the fact that it has resulted in the waste of billions of dollars’ worth of natural gas.

EDF scientists conducted four week-long surveys throughout 2020 to assess emissions from flaring in the United States’ largest oilfield. In each survey, roughly 5% of flares were entirely unlit and venting methane directly into the atmosphere, and an additional 5% were malfunctioning and only partially lit, failing to properly combust methane and driving up emissions. The repeated results affirm flaring’s outsized contribution to Permian methane emissions, and underscore producers’ ongoing inability to control the problem.

Photos, video, a map and infographics for media are available here.

EDF’s latest flaring survey reveals that malfunctioning flares are not just a common problem across the basin, but also a persistent one. Researchers observed the same flares repeatedly over a five-day period. Of the malfunctioning flares they discovered, over half had recurring malfunctions, and about a quarter never operated properly during the course of the survey.

The findings indicate voluntary efforts from industry have failed to address problems with flaring. As investors, the public and customers insist on low-emission products, commonsense policy from state leaders will be needed to reduce flaring and address the fact that it is a major source of the Permian’s methane footprint.

“This year of data makes it painfully clear that flaring performance has remained abysmal through the industry’s highs and lows,” said Colin Leyden, EDF director of regulatory and legislative affairs, Texas. “The science is clear that flaring cannot be an afterthought. Left unchecked, the practice is compounding industry’s methane problem at a time when investors and overseas markets are calling for cleaner production.”

EDF observed high rates of flaring malfunctions in both Texas and New Mexico. However, action to address the issue varies widely between the two states. Last fall, the Texas Railroad Commission adopted changes intended to reduce flaring. While a step in the right direction, they will not be sufficient alone to end routine flaring in the state.

Meanwhile, New Mexico’s Oil Conservation Division is currently advancing a new rule which would eliminate routine flaring and reduce natural gas waste, an important component — along with air pollution rules still under development by New Mexico’s Environment Department — of establishing requirements in line with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s push for nation-leading methane rules.

The best solution for reducing malfunctioning flares is to reduce flaring in the first place. A recent Rystad analysis shows doing so is highly cost-effective, 84% of routine flaring in the Permian could be eliminated at no net cost according to the report.

“Companies’ inability to do something as basic as keep their flares lit threatens our climate, wastes our resources and undermines our wellbeing,” said Jon Goldstein, EDF director of regulatory and legislative affairs, New Mexico. “This research underscores the importance of the strong rule proposed by the Oil Conservation Division to cut methane waste and end routine flaring.”

(TRENTON, NJ – Jan. 27, 2021) Four environmental groups today responded to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ (BPU) approval of a partial settlement of Public Service Electric & Gas Company’s (PSE&G) Clean Energy Future Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Program. The settlement includes a $166.2 million investment in light-duty electric vehicle infrastructure, but delays any action on the critically important medium- and heavy-duty vehicle and energy storage portions of PSE&G’s original 2018 proposal.

Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and Environment New Jersey filed comments for the BPU’s review of the proposed settlement, voicing concern at the watered-down initiative. PSE&G’s original proposal included $261 million for light-duty and medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles as well as energy storage. In the proceeding, these organizations advocated for a more robust light-duty program, and more meaningful progress to lay the groundwork for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification. At a time when the New Jersey legislature and the BPU’s sibling agencies are taking steps to encourage fleet owners to purchase electric buses and trucks, this partial settlement increases the likelihood that the lack of charging infrastructure will continue to undermine those efforts.

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“Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for a disproportionately large amount of harmful emissions that negatively impact New Jersey’s public health,” said Elizabeth B. Stein, Lead Counsel, Energy Transition Strategy at Environmental Defense Fund. “While this proposal lays the groundwork to address pollution by electrifying transportation, the settlement parties and the Board have missed an important opportunity to address diesel truck and bus pollution in some of New Jersey’s most overburdened communities.”

“This settlement does not match the scale and scope of investment needed to achieve New Jersey’s ambitious climate goals,” said Kathy Harris, Clean Vehicles and Fuels Advocate at NRDC. “The transportation sector is by far the largest emitter of harmful greenhouse gases in New Jersey. While the state has set bold climate targets, we need an all hands-on deck approach. If New Jersey is going to achieve its climate goals, utilities must step it up – and fast.”

“The biggest source of air pollution and GHGs in New Jersey comes from the transportation sector. The BPU needs to be accelerating our electric vehicle programs, especially infrastructure. The lack of infrastructure leads to range anxiety, so instead of moving forward this settlement has us stuck in first gear,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We’re never going to meet our state goals for electrifying cars and trucks unless the BPU removes the roadblocks in the way. They need to lead when it comes to building the infrastructure we need to help create green jobs and move our green economy forward. This is especially important in Environmental Justice and low- and moderate-income communities.”

“The legislative mandate of the EV bill, the Clean Cars Act and the electric truck MOU creates a steep road forward to accelerate vehicle electrification and we need to use those aggressive benchmarks to guide our policy,” said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. “We advocated for the inclusion of investments for the electrification of medium and heavy-duty vehicles that was initially part of this settlement because the charging infrastructure for trucks, transit and school buses is a stumbling block on the path towards electrification. It is critical for NJBPU and utilities to prioritize these investments moving forward.”

En inglés

(Ciudad de México) - Un grupo de científicos internacionales, incluidos expertos del Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), observaron niveles excepcionalmente altos de contaminación por metano que escapa de las instalaciones de hidrocarburos en - Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz y la costa de Campeche - la mayor región productora de México. Las emisiones procedían principalmente de la quema de gas natural no utilizado a raíz de una infraestructura ineficiente en el sector hidrocarburos.

“Cuando las instalaciones petroleras mexicanas emiten metano, se están desperdiciando valiosos recursos domésticos energéticos, además de contaminar el clima y el aire”, dijo el autor principal del estudio y científico de EDF, el Dr. Daniel Zavala. “La cantidad de metano que se emite en un solo complejo procesador de gas en tierra, sería suficiente para satisfacer el 50% del consumo de gas residencial en México”, añadió.

El presente estudio, titulado “Una historia de dos regiones: Emisiones de metano en el sector de hidrocarburos en México”, publicado en Environmental Research Letters, destaca discrepancias cruciales en los inventarios de gases de efecto invernadero que afectan a la capacidad del país para asegurar una mayor eficiencia energética.

El estudio encontró que en las instalaciones de producción y procesamiento de gas y petróleo en tierra emiten más de 10 veces la cantidad de metano reportado en los inventarios, de manera inversa, las emisiones de las plataformas petroleras costa afuera fueron 10 veces más bajas. Los datos sugieren que el gas producido eficientemente costa afuera es transportado mediante ductos hacia las instalaciones terrestres y es ahí donde este se quema o se libera a la atmósfera.

Las emisiones de metano contribuyen a la contaminación del aire y son un poderoso agente de calentamiento global, que genera un impacto 80 veces mayor que el CO2 en las primeras dos décadas después de ser emitido. El metano es también el principal componente del gas natural, lo que significa que estas emisiones son un enorme desperdicio de recursos.

De acuerdo a este estudio, la quema de gas en esta región representa una pérdida de 100 mil millones de pies cúbicos de gas natural al año, o 4,000 millones de pesos al año. Esto equivale a trece veces el presupuesto anual de la ASEA (la agencia reguladora del sector hidrocarburos).

En 2018, México publicó regulaciones federales para establecer estándares claros para la industria respecto a la reducción de emisiones de metano en la cadena de suministro de hidrocarburos, normas que ayudarán a que México logre la meta establecida en un acuerdo trilateral con los EE. UU. y Canadá para reducir estas emisiones en un 40-45%. para 2025.

Medición del metano desde el cielo

Los investigadores de este estudio utilizaron aviones equipados con equipo especialmente diseñado para medir las emisiones de las instalaciones. Para verificar los hallazgos, los datos fueron comparados con las observaciones de TROPOMI, un satélite de la Agencia Espacial Europea.

Se encontró que el complejo procesador de gas Nuevo Pemex genera emisiones de metano más altas que las de toda la región de producción costa afuera del Golfo de México, donde se genera el 80% de la producción nacional de petróleo.

Un mejor entendimiento de los patrones y la proveniencia de las emisiones de metano es un paso fundamental para poder reducirlas. Este nuevo estudio forma parte de una serie de investigaciones auspiciadas por la Coalición por el Clima y el Aire Limpio de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU), que tiene como objetivo acelerar las oportunidades de reducción de emisiones de metano en la industria del sector de hidrocarburos a nivel global.

“Descubrir las razones por las que existen tan vastas discrepancias en los datos puede ayudar a México a utilizar los métodos probados de captura de gas para garantizar los beneficios económicos, sociales y ambientales de reducir las emisiones de metano que provienen del sector de hidrocarburos”, añadió Zavala.

La reducción de la contaminación por metano es vital para tener un clima saludable y comunidades sanas, en particular para las personas que viven cerca de las instalaciones petroleras. Las fugas de metano suelen ir acompañadas de otros contaminantes que empeoran la calidad del aire y causan problemas respiratorios y enfermedades pulmonares. Además, el metano acelera el calentamiento global con lo cual se ponen en riesgo los ecosistemas costeros que sustentan a millones de mexicanos.”Rara vez hay situaciones de ganar-ganar, pero en el caso de reducir emisiones de metano tenemos un ejemplo”, dijo la Dra. Shareen Yawanarajah, Directora de Políticas Públicas en el Programa Global de Energía de EDF. “México debería adoptar un enfoque de “lo que no se usa, se pierde” para implementar las regulaciones y lograr al mismo tiempo mejorar la eficiencia energética, proteger a la salud, al clima y a los frágiles ecosistemas de los mares”.